Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

29 www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com experience competing and is now a regular in many local running events. His father, Burt Hodges, said he and Marshall often compete together, running as a team in a few road races, including the Peyton Wild and Wacky 10x5K held each year since 2015. “We ran as a two-man team last year and won,” he said. “It’s an activity we can do together, and we really enjoy the camaraderie of the local running community.” Zane Jackson, a sophomore at Palmetto Scholars Academy, has become a force to reckon with at any race in which he competes. Running for his school and MPTC, he has become known for his incredible speed and endurance, which have catapulted him to record-breaking success each season. Competing in the Bridge Run last year, Jackson placed in the top 50 overall out of almost 40,000 runners. He is also the first MPTC team member to claim four All-American titles in four different events in one track season. Jackson regularly participates in many local races and is recognized as a tough competitor. “The first 5K I did, I didn’t do too well,” Jackson said. “But I kept challenging myself and got faster, and now I love competing in as many races as I can.” Tami Dennis, head coach of the MPTC, said she loves seeing the kids challenge themselves by entering local races. “While it depends on where we’re at in the season, if they can compete in other races, I think it’s a great boost to their confidence if they’re able to run in these events,” she said. “When they perform well in a highly-contested, very competitive local race like the Bridge Run, it’s wonderful. It’s a great experience and great visibility for themselves.” Another local young runner moved to Mount Pleasant when he was 9 years old and immediately joined the MPTC cross country team. Now a senior at Wando High School, Patrick Spychalski has been running for almost 10 years. “I was an average runner at first but started to improve and continued to rank higher,” he said. As a member of Wando’s track team as well, he has earned multiple titles and awards over the years. Regularly competing in local races, Spychalski has participated in the Cooper River Bridge Run, Turkey Day Run, Reindeer Run and numerous others. While many races are arranged by age group, he has not only received top honors in his demographic but overall as well. In the 2017 Reindeer Run, he ranked fourth out of about 3,500 participants and was top 10 in the Turkey Day Run, feature